We can’t help but feel it—a surging wave of summer vibes after two years of pent-up passion for all the flavors and fun of a season associated with good times and great tastes. The rollback of restrictions is sure to release the foodservice floodgates as menu innovation makes the most of a season of opportunity for sizzling sales.

​As the market research firm Datassential reports, fruit, salad and watermelon are go-to items for summer refreshments, but a rising tide of fresh flavor profiles is expected to lift sales this summer, from hearts of palm and non-dairy ice cream to dragon fruit, pickled everything and papaya.¹